George Springer is tagged out by Tigers shortstop Andrew Romine while attempting to steal second base.

George Springer is tagged out by Tigers shortstop Andrew Romine while attempting to steal second base.

Photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press

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Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez tags Ian Kinsler out on his way home.

Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez tags Ian Kinsler out on his way home.

Photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press

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Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez prepares to throw to first.

Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez prepares to throw to first.

Photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press

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Ian Kinsler is tagged out by Astros second baseman Jose Altuve.

Ian Kinsler is tagged out by Astros second baseman Jose Altuve.

Photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press

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Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart throws.

Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart throws.

Photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press

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Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer throws.

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer throws.

Photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press

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Ian Kinsler reacts to being hit by Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart.

Ian Kinsler reacts to being hit by Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart.

Photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press

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Ian Kinsler gloves a ground ball.

Ian Kinsler gloves a ground ball.

Photo: Julian H. Gonzalez / McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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Ian Kinsler is caught in a rundown between 3rd and home.

Ian Kinsler is caught in a rundown between 3rd and home.

Photo: Julian H. Gonzalez / McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Dallas Keuchel has the right stuff to tame Tigers, 6-2

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George Springer watches his fifth inning solo home run on Thursday afternoon. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

DETROIT — There may be a day when the Dallas Keuchel-types are the game’s most sought after pitchers.

The fastest pitch Keuchel threw on Thursday in a 6-2 Astros win over the Tigers was 92.5 mph, according to BrooksBaseball.net. He’s no flamethrower, but in the age of radar-gun obsessions and surgery after surgery, one has to wonder if pitchers who can spot a pitch in the low-90s will be considered safer draft picks someday.

Either way, Keuchel can pitch in the highbrow sense. He gets ground balls better than anyone in the majors, all the while throwing strikes and making batters miss too. He was the No. 5 starter in the rotation to start the year — that put some separation between his starts and fellow southpaw Brett Oberholtzer’s — but Keuchel has been the best pitcher the Astros have through 35 games. His ERA is 3.68.

The most impressive stat from Thursday: Keuchel’s 79 of 106 pitches for strikes.

“Not only did he win today, I enjoy watching him pitch,” pitching coach Brent Strom said. “He’s really fun to watch pitch. I like his preparation, I like the way he moves the ball around, a lot of different things. He really, really is an exceptional young pitcher.”

Keuchel went 7 2/3 innings and allowed two runs, one-upping his housemate and friend from the University of Arkansas, Tigers lefty starter Drew Smyly. Keuchel didn’t actually see any of Smyly’s 5 1/3 innings, though. It was a hot day at Comerica Park, so when he wasn’t on the mound, Keuchel stayed cool in the tunnel.

“I”ll definitely talk some crap to him,” Keuchel said. “He’s a great pitcher, it just kind of worked out in my favor today.”

The Astros had lost five straight and hadn’t even held a lead since Saturday, when they lost 9-8 to the Mariners. That was the last game Keuchel started.

A lot clicked for the Astros. They had three home runs — including the first of George Springer’s career — and avoided a four-game sweep. Jose Altuve’s two-run double in the fifth inning capped a rally that Springer’s solo homer started against Smyly, and the Altuve double was the hit manager Bo Porter called the most important of the day. The Astros trailed 2-0 heading into the fifth and finished it ahead one run.

The Tigers scored first, as they did the entirety of the four-game series. Victor Martinez extended his hit streak to 11 games with his third home run of the series, a solo shot, in the fourth inning. Martinez has as many home runs against the Astros this season as he hit in all of April.

Once the Astros gave Keuchel the lead, though, he maintained it.

With runners on the corners in the seventh inning and the ‘Stros ahead 4-2, Torii Hunter pinch-hit and struck out swinging on four pitches, the last a slider.
Keuchel had 14 whiffs on Thursday, 10 of them on the breaking ball. He struck out seven and walked none. The most runs he’s allowed in a start this season is four (just once) and the most walks he’s had in a start are three (just once).

“It seemed they were giving me a bunch of first place strikes and I was trying to take advantage of that and kind of set up the slider,” Keuchel said. “Judging by some of those swings it was pretty good today.”

Is this the same Keuchel we saw last year?

“He went through a stretch like this last year where he was arguably our best pitcher,” Porter said. “It’s now more consistent. It’s start after start after start. … I think he’s taking a lot of pride in his pre-game preparation and he does a good job of pitching to the scouting report.”

There is a difference in Keuchel’s repertoire, though.

“Last year I had two types of curveballs, one was kind of a get-me-over, lollipop 12-6, and then I had a sharper one, kind of a slurve,” Keuchel said. “I haven’t been throwing the lollipop one anymore. It’s just been more tight slurves.”

Keuchel said he doesn’t throw a true curveball anymore, just a slider and a slurve, the former more often to lefties, the latter righties.

“We talked about making that a firmer breaking ball that was short, quicker, tighter,” Strom said. “I think he changes speeds well, he pitches inside well, he’s got a variety of pitches. He elevates at times when he’s supposed to. His delivery is such that he’s a strike-throwing machine.”